Mossie O'Sullivan, Bere Island, on left, and Paul Connolly, Glengarriff, with referee Michael D. O'Sullivan, Adrigole, before the start of the Beara junior B league football final at Adrigole.

Bere Island ...........1-13 Glengarriff ............1-12

The islanders were going in the wrong direction until they took a u-turn at half-time and after the break they produced the goods to record a magnificent victory in this Beara junior B football league decider on Friday evening last.

Adrigole hosted this game where the winners lacked direction in the opening half and lofted in aimless high deliveries to an attack that was far from composed. Behind by four points at the break, they resumed a more determined and focused outfit, but most of all a more organised team that played to a plan.

Instead of aimlessly kicking away possession, they used the ball with much more method, all of which would be to little avail if they hadn’t the players with the confidence to make it count. This they had as an attack that early on had been afraid to have a pot at goal was now much more composed and getting into good positions to take their scores. This resulted in the half-time leeway being erased and turned in to a four-point advantage, all within the opening ten minutes of the second-half where they subsequently managed to ride out a stiff Glen challenge and claim a famous victory.

The Glen, having had a fairly competitive South West league final outing the previous week, which they lost to Randal Óg, looked the more likely to succeed in the opening stages of this divisional decider where Bere Island were decidedly ring rusty early on. David Elphick did kick them into a first minute lead and the wing forward, along with midfielder Rob Hilliard, were to emerge as the winners most consistent performers in a contest where it took their colleagues some time to reach the same high standard.

TALENT

Before they did it was the losers who had set the pace as John Galvin once more emerged as a player of undoubted talent in a solid defence where Richard O’Sullivan was to the fore early on. With Paul Connolly once more showing the way in attack and Paul P O’Sullivan benefiting from his switch to wing forward, the Glen were in cruise control after Peter Murphy and Paul Connolly had evenly shared their opening four points.

Murphy continued to trouble the losers and, on the quarter hour mark, was almost through for a Glen goal only for a timely Brendan Murphy goal-line clearance to save the winners.

Had the losers hit the net then the result might have been different as the islanders were there for the taking at that stage as they struggled for survival. They weren’t helped by the continued excellence of John Galvin, who kicked over a marvellous 18th minute point that put Glen five points clear before we saw glimpses of what was to come from the winners.

David Elphick was unlucky to have a first-time effort go over off the legs of a defender while Rob Hilliard ended a fine four-man movement to kick their third point. Their newfound confidence was about to emerge and change the whole complexion of a game where the Glen were full value for their 0-7 to 0-3 half-time advantage.

Few in the attendance expected such a complete turn around after the break when the winners hit the ground running. Points from Elphick, Ben Murphy, from a free, and a well worked Cormac Sidley effort, had them on terms before Elphick kicked two more and an astounding transformation was evident in attack.

What of a defence that looked far from composed in the opening half? The fact that they confined the Glen attack to a lone Paul Connolly pointed free in the opening quarter of the second half speaks volumes for a unit that was now at its peak. Particularly effective at the back were Michael O’Sullivan and team captain Mossie O’Sullivan who had been most vulnerable early on.

NO SURPRISE

With Cormac Sidley now matching the deeds of Hilliard at midfield, it was in the Bere Island attack that we saw the biggest improvement, and it came as no surprise when a pass from the improving William O’Sullivan was finished to the net by a human tornado in the form of the irrepressible David Elphick.

This 38th minute goal forced the losers to ring the changes and with Kevin O’Sullivan temporarily moved to man one of the midfield berths the Glen remained competitive to the end. Paul P O’Sullivan was most impressive in an attack where Peter Murphy and Paul Connolly continued to pose a threat to Bere Island who now had Jim Hanley and Michael Crowley producing the goods alongside Elphick in the winners half forward division and this all meant that the islanders had increased their lead to five points entering the closing four-minutes.

In a hectic finale, Paul Connolly latched on to a Liam O’Regan delivery before placing his shot to perfection and with two minutes to go this goal had the gap reduced to two points. Then came a Paul P O’Sullivan point but the Glen could do no better in a contest that ended, by my timepiece, a few seconds before the full sixty minutes had elapsed.

Referee, Michael D O’Sullivan, was castigated for this but overall his handling of the game was impressive and impartial and few will deny Bere Island deserved their moment of glory, and with a championship final clash upcoming this saga is far from over.

Any duck, even the dyed ones in nearby Kerry, would have baulked at the thought of going out in last Saturday’s deluge. Sporting enthusiasts are a different breed, however, and all over the country thousands braved the elements to participate, or watch, outdoor events.

The hardy folk in Beara were no exception and Adrigole housed a good attendance who witnessed a Beara junior B football championship final that was not alone almost washed away, it was also lit up by the odd bolt of lightning.

No such fireworks in this decider where the Glen pulled away in the closing stages to retain their title and avenge a recent league final defeat at the hands of the islanders. From that game they learned some lessons that were put to good use in this most recent outing.

The winners lined out with a rearranged defence and managed to contain some of the losers attackers that had given them most grief previously, while a change in midfield also benefited a team that had the experienced Paddy Goggin manning the centre back berth.

The former Bantry senior player, and current Glen coach, had his hands full with enterprising Bere Island centre forward Michael Crowley, but when Goggin moved to centre field late on, his experience was invaluable. The placing of John Galvin on the left flank of defence was another good move by the Glen as Galvin managed to curtail the activities of David Elphick, but it must be said that it was definitely not a day for forwards.

A BIG PART

With Pat Power also benefiting from a change of wing, the Glen defensive department was to play a big part in them retaining their title after full back Kevin O’Sullivan had shown the way with a sterling first-half display. Richard O’Sullivan kept a close watching brief on dangerous Bere Island corner forward William O’Sullivan, while Denis O’Sullivan, after an early rush of blood to the head when he attempted to engage in what was only ever going to be a onesided argument with the referee, also settled to form the basis for a Glen victory that was far from certain until the latter stages of an interesting final.

In this game Bere Island didn’t enjoy the same midfield success as in the league final but Cormac Sidley did manage to give them their share of possession in the closing half where a brace of David Elphick pointed frees gave them a slender advantage early on.

They managed to hold on to what they had until the Glen came with a powerful surge that swept them to victory in a contest where they got off the mark inside the opening minute of play. Paul Connolly was the player to open their account with a point from play and the winning captain then proceeded to play the role of a third midfielder to perfection.

This allowed Liam O’Regan to drop deep and help his defence against the wind when Brian Murphy was at his best. Murphy had been moved from his normal centre back berth on this occasion where he was prominent in the early stages as the Glen battled against the elements and an ever-increasing Bere Island force.

The losers may have allowed the opposition to steal a march in the opening stages but when they adapted to the conditions the islanders gave as good as they got. Despite the loss, through injury, of corner back J.P. Downey, they got their act together and with Michael Crowley showing the way in attack and Michael O’Sullivan looking the part in the centre of defence, the losers were back in the hunt after conjuring up a 21st minute goal.

SHORT-LIVED

Centre forward O’Sullivan appeared to be the player that got a fist to direct a Rob Hilliard free kick to the net to put them ahead, but their lead was to be short-lived. Soon after, the Glen produced one of the few freeflowing moves of the game when Liam O’Regan was the instigator, Paul Connolly the carrier and Peter Murphy the destroyer with a powerful drive that shook the losers net.

It was the riposte the winners needed but even this quick reply didn’t dampen the spirits of a Bere Island outfit that made a few changes for the second-half and for a while they defied the increasingly worsening conditions and a Glen side that was slow to pick up where they left off before the break.

The winners saw a one-point half-time lead evaporate as David Elphick converted two difficult frees to give the islanders a slender advantage before Paul Connolly levelled matters in the 38th minute. A neat sidestep carried Michael O’Sullivan clear of the winners defence and produced another Bere Island point and hand them back the lead again after 42 minutes of honest endeavour.

It was to be the losers last score, but it wasn’t for the want of trying as they peppered the winners goal for a while only to be beaten back by an uncompromising Glen defence. Cormac Sidley, David Elphick, Rob Hilliard and Michael Crowley were all to the fore, Michael Orpen even came forward from wing back to have a go, as the islanders tried to increase their advantage.

It was all to no avail, however, as the Glen rallied strongly and with Paddy Goggin now at midfield, the winners were soon back on track. In attack, where Peter Murphy had to retire injured, they were at their menacing best again as the exciting talent that is Kevin Holland landed their equaliser on target with ten minutes remaining.

Donal O’Sullivan, Michael O’Sullivan and Paul P. O’Sullivan were all showing again in the closing exchanges when a brace of Paul Connolly points, and one from Donal O’Sullivan, finally helped the Glen to lift the cup, and defeat was the lot of a gallant Bere Island who had contributed so much to a contest that will have benefited the Glen enormously as they prepare to enter the county championship arena.